Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We do need to have such a conversation. We are having one. In many ways, Mr. Cassells sparked or gave voice to that conversation when he presented his three options. As of now, those options are being economically evaluated, as was requested by the all-party Oireachtas committee. That is due back to me in 2021. I hope 2021 will be the year we settle the question of what a sustainable model of funding looks like. My personal view is a little different to that of the Senator in that regard. I think we should be trying to move into the space where undergraduate courses are an extension of the education system we have in primary and secondary schools and then look at how the State can financially support people, in terms of grants and so on, when they go beyond that. However, I will not pre-empt the findings of the report.